Watch movement



March 15, 1949. JEANNERET 2,464,316

WATCH MOVEMENT Filed'Aug. 5, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 a a 7 6' 5 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 2 v 4 I2 3 l March 15, 1949. H. JEANNERET WATCH MOVEMENT Filed Aug. s, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 umuylnnnnlllll u u uw 4 Inventor a e m m J H M March '15, 1949. JEANNERET 2,464,316

WATCH MOVEMENT Filed Aug. 5, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 H, Jea/luzz/ere'fi Patented Mar. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WATCH MOVEMENT Henri J eanneret, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland 9 Claims.

This invention relates to watch movements having a mainspring and an escapement wheel driven by this mainspring.

In apparatus having a watch movement controlling circuit breakers, releasing arrangements or like mechanisms which absorb a certain quantity of energy, it is necessary, in order to avoid a separate spring for actuating these mechanisms, to provide the watch movement with a main spring powerful enough for simultaneously operating the watch movement and the said mechanisms. When the latter are out of operation, the sole main-spring of the apparatus has excess power causing a banking of the watch movement and thereby renders precise adjustment of the latter impossible. However, in such apparatus this adjustment is of very great importance, for it works during long periods without any attention so that the errors in the adjustment are cumulative.

In apparatus of the above kind, watch movements provided with a so-called constant power escapement, that is with an escapement able to absorb a certain amount of power, have already been used. These constructions, however, are very delicate and expensive, so that they can only be used in high-priced apparatus.

The watch movement according to the invention is one having the same effect as those with a so-called constant power escapement but is of such construction that it does not greatly raise the price of the apparatus in which it is used, although it as emcacious as those known up to date.

The construction of the watch movement according to the invention is based on the following considerations:

In watch movements adjusted by an escapement, the wheels are in repose when the impulse faces of the lever are under the teeth of the escape wheel. As soon as these faces are released by movement of the lever by the balance, the latter receives an impulse. During this impulse operation all the wheels rotate and then come to a stop when the next tooth of the escape wheel comes under the other impulse face of the lever. As one oscillation of the lever lasts a fifth of a second and as an impulse lasts about a fiftieth of a second, there is, therefore, a repose of about nine fiftieths of a second between successive impulses.

In order to permit quick starting, the escape wheel must be extremely light. Any increase of weight and, therefore, of inertia impedes the speed of movement of this wheel. In order to avoid the above-mentioned banking of watch movements, the movement according to the invention is characterized by a rotatable retarding weight in driven connection with the mainspring and yieldably coupled with the escapement wheel by an auxiliary spring driving the escapement wheel, in order to prevent the driving force developed by the mainspring from acting upon the escapement wheel during impulse operation of the latter, and is further distinguished by a means preventing the retarding weight from tightening the auxiliary spring to a degree causing banking of the movement.

In order to obtain this result in the watch movement according to the invention, an auxiliary spring is inserted between the escapement wheel member and a rotatable retarding weight driven by the mainspring. This auxiliary spring provides a yieldable connection between the retarding weight and the escapement wheel, and in conjunction with the retarding eflEect of the weight, prevents the maximum torque of the mainspring developed at the escapement wheel from acting upon the escapement wheel during the impulse period. Means is also provided for decelerating the retarding weight during the repose period to prevent said weight from tightening the auxiliary spring to a degree causing banking of the movement.

The accompanying drawings illustrate, by way of examples, three embodiments of the device according to the invention.

Fig. 1 is a side view of the first example, partly in section,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view of the second embodiment,

Fig. 3 is a top view of a detail of this second embodiment,

Fig. 4 is a side view of the third example, partly in section,

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the retarding weight and the elements placed on its axle, and

Figs. 6 and 7 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 4 respectively, but on a smaller scale and showing also the mainspring with the adjacent gear wheels.

The mainspring 3| of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1 drives the pinion 2 on the axle of the fourth wheel through a gear train comprising a. pinion 32, shaft 33, center wheel I, pinion 34, and third wheel 35. A supplemental wheel 4 and a plate 5 are fixed to the axle of the fourth wheel 3. The plate 5 carries-a pin 6 which projects between the spokes of the fourth wheel 3. This latter is loosely mounted on its axle. It is with the plate by means of an auxiliary spring 8 wound about the axle oi. the fourth wheel, one end or" this spring bearing against a screw 8 fixed to this wheel 3 while the other end is supported on the pin Rotation of the plate by the mainspring, acting through the gear train shown and described tends to tighten the spring l and to take along the fourth wheel 3 in engagement with the pinion 9 of the escape wheel W.

The supplemental wheel 3 engages a pinion H fastened to an axle i2 carrying a retarding weight 63. This latter is perfectly balanced and is arranged in parallel with the escapement, of which wheel in forms a part.

The manner of action of the whole is as follows:

When the main spring is wound and the movement is in repose, that is when one of the repose faces of the lever is under a tooth of the escape wheel, the power of the main spring is transmitted to this repose face by the intermediary of the auxiliary spring I and the pin ii engaging 9, spoke of wheel 3. However, as soon as the lever changes its position and releases the escape wheel, the main spring, in order to effect an advance of the wheel-work, must start the retarding weight it which, owing to its inertia, restrains the movement of plate 5 for a certain time during which the auxiliary spring only acts upon the fourth wheel '3 and through this latter upon the escape wheel Ill. The plate 5 thus lags behind the wheel 3, forming part of the escapement, so that the pin 6 is disengaged from the spoke of wheel 3 and the impulse transmitted to the lever comes, therefore, only from this auxiliary spring 6 and, hence, has always the same value, whatever the tension of the main spring 3!! may be. In other words, the retarding weight prevents the driving force developed by the mainspring ill from acting upon the escapement wheel during impulse operation of the latter. Now that the wheel 3 has advanced and contact between pin 6 and the spoke of wheel 3 has, therefore, been interrupted, pin 6 advances as soon as the retarding weight l3 begins to rotate. After a certain angle of rotation, during which spring i has been tightened, pin 6 reaches the spoke of wheel 3 again, which is anew in repose. Pin ii and with it the retarding weight are stopped. Owing to the fact that weight I 3, after a certain angle of rotation, is stopped by the pin 6 abutting on the spoke of wheel 3, it cannot tighten the auxiliary spring to a degree causing banking of the movement on the occasion of a new release and. impulse operation of the escapement. Any cause for banking is thus suppressed and an adjusting of the escapement can, therefore, take place under normal conditions.

In certain cases, when, for instance, a still greater force is to be absorbed, the inertia efiect of the retarding weight can be increased, as shown in Fig. 2, by coupling the latter with the axle carrying it by means of a device analogous to that which is used for coupling the fourth wheel 3 with its axle. The weight it is rotatable on its axle and carries a pin i l passing through a cut-out l5 in a plate it which is fixed on the axle. A helical spring ll bears with its one end against theweight l3 and with its other end against the plate 16. The intermittent movements of the pinion ii are transmitted to the weight l3 with a certain delay. The weight I3 is driven forward by the pin it and returns under the eifect of the spring ii. The latter may be so dimensioned that the pin it again lit) ,eriisr,

meets the abutting face of the plate it at the moment when the latter commences its move-- ment in the opposite direction. The retarding effect of the weight is then augmented by its inertia which, at this moment, acts in the direction opposite to the movement given it by the impulse resulting from the release of the impulse face of the lever.

In the embodiment of Figs. 4*. and 5 the retarding weight is arranged in series with the auxiliary spring and the escapement. In this example also the main spring 35 is of sufiicient power as to be capable of driving not only the regulator shown but also a releasing mechanism absorbing a multiple of the force necessary to operate the regulator and, in consequence, is capable of causing banking of the escapement when driving the regulator only, thus rendering adjustment impossible. The main spring acts through a suitable gear train upon a pinion all of the spur gear 26 by means of the usual third wheel. This spur gear engages a pinion 22 whose axle carries the retarding weight 23. This weight is of such mass that it cannot start as fast as the escape wheel and hence lags behind the escape wheel during the two hundredths of a second necessary for an impulse operation of an escape wheel of suitable construction. The escape wheel 25 is loosely mounted on the axle 2d of the retarding weight 23. Its teeth are in contact with the impulse faces of a lever not shown. This escape wheel has a hub 26 to which the inner end of a spiral spring 21 is attached, while the outer end of the spring is held by a pin 28 fixed to the weight 23.

The weight 23 also carries a resilient pin 29 which is long enough to project between two spokes of the escape wheel 25 and (like pin 6 of Fig. 1) serves as a means of preventing the retarding weight from tightening the auxiliary spring to a degree which would cause banking of the movement.

The manner of operation of this embodiment is analogous to that of the preceding examples: The main spring acts upon the retarding weight 23 through the intermediary of a third wheel and the crown wheel 2!. The weight tightens the spiral spring 2'! until the pin 29 bears against a spoke 3!] of the escape wheel. Every time when the latter is released by the lever, it receives an impulse from the spring 21, this impulse being transmitted to the lever in a usual manner by the inclined plane of the teeth of the escape wheel for keeping up the oscillations.

The abrupt starting of the escape wheel and the slower starting of the retarding weight causes the separation of pin 29 and spoke 30. Therefore, it is mainly the force of this spring 21 which efiects the lever impulses. After the escape wheel has been stopped, the weight continues to turn until the pin 29 engages a spoke 30 of the escape wheel.

The manner of action of the pin 29 is as follows: As in every escapement, the total force of the mainspring rests on the repose face of the lever when the escapement is in repose. The difficulties for the balance wheel to effectuate the disengaging of the repose face are, therefore, in proportion to the power of the mainspring. A slight delay in the impulse hence results when the mainspring is completely tightened. This tension, however, is transmitted to the escape wheel by the resilient pin 29 which will be flexed in proportion to the tension. The spring action of this resilient pin increases the impulse upon 1. In a watch movement, a mainspring, a rotatable shaft, a retarding weight mounted on said shaft, driving means connecting said shaft with said mainspring, an escapement wheel, an auxiliary spring in driving connection with said escapement wheel and establishing yieldable connection between said retarding weight and said escapement wheel, in order to prevent the maximum torque of said mainspring developed at the escapement wheel from acting upon said escapement wheel during impulse operation of the latter, and means arranged to prevent said retarding weight from tightening said auxiliary spring to a degree causing banking of the movement.

2. In a watch movement, a main spring, a rotatable shaft, a retarding weight fixed to said shaft, driving means connecting said shaft with said main spring, an escape wheel comprising spokes, loosely mounted on said shaft, an auxiliary spring arranged in series to said escape wheel and to said retarding weight for imparting impulses to said escape wheel, and a pin forming a spring, fixed to said retarding weight and entering through between said spokes.

3. In a watch movement, a mainspring, a rotatable shaft, a retarding weight mounted on said shaft, driving means connecting said shaft with said mainspring, an escapement wheel member, an auxiliary spring in driving connection with said escapement wheel member and establishing yieldable connection between said retarding weight and said escapement wheel member, in order to prevent the maximum torque of said mainspring developed at the escapement wheel from acting upon said escapement wheel member during impulse operation of the latter, and means preventing said retarding weight from overtightening said auxiliary spring, comprising a stop element connected with said retardin weight and disposed in a position to be stopped during the repose period of said escapement wheel member by engagement with said member and thereby to stop said retarding weight when the desired tension in said auxiliaryspring is reached.

4. In a watch movement, a mainspring, a retatable shaft, a retarding weight mounted on said shaft, driving means connecting said shaft with said mainspring, an escapement wheel, an auxiliary spring in driving connection with said escapement wheel and establishing yieldable connection between said retarding weight and said escapement wheel, in order to prevent the maximum torque of said mainspring developed at the escapement wheel from acting upon said escapement wheel during impulse operation of the latter, and a means preventing said retarding weight from overtightening said auxiliary spring, including a stop element connected with said retarding weight and disposed so that stoppage of said element is caused by said escapement wheel in its repose position in order to stop said retarding weight when the desired tension in said auxiliary spring is reached.

5. In a watch movement, a mainspring, a rotatable shaft, a retarding weight mounted on said shaft, a gear train connecting said mainspring with said retarding weight, an escapement wheel, an auxiliary spring arranged in parallel to said retarding weight and in driving connection with said escapement wheel and establishing yieldable connection between said retarding weight and said escapement wheel, in order to prevent the maximum torque of said mainspring developed at the escapement wheel from acting upon said escapement wheel during impulse operation of the latter, a member in connection with said escapement wheel, coupled with said gear train by said auxiliary spring, a stop element freely passing through said member and connected with said retardin weight, adapted to be stopped by said member during the repose period of said escapement wheel in order to stop said retarding weight when the desired tension in said auxiliary spring is reached.

6. In a watch movement, a mainspring, a rotatable shaft, a retarding weight loosely mounted on said shaft, an additional spring coupling said retarding weight with said rotatable shaft; to allow said retarding weight a movement relative to the shaft carrying it, means arranged to limit said relative movement, a gear train connecting said mainspring with said rotatable shaft, an escapement wheel, an auxiliary spring arranged in parallel to said retarding weight and in driving connection with said escapement wheel and establishing yieldable connection between said retarding weight and said escapement wheel, in order to prevent the maximum torque of said mainspring developed at the escapement wheel from acting upon said escapement wheel during impulse operation of the latter, a member in connection with said escapement wheel, coupled with said gear train by said auxiliary spring, and a stop element freely passing through said member and connected with said retarding weight, adapted to be stopped by said member during the repose period of said escapement wheel in order to stop said retarding weight when the desired tension in said auxiliary spring is reached.

'I. In a watch movement, a mainspring, a rotatable shaft, two bodies, the one forming an escapement wheel and the other a retarding weight mounted on said shaft, driving means connecting said retarding weight with said mainspring, an auxiliary spring arranged in series with said retarding weight and said escapement wheel and in driving connection with said escapement wheel and establishing yieldable connection between said retarding weight and said escapement wheel, in order to prevent the maximum torque of said mainspring developed at the escapement wheel fiom acting upon said escapement wheel during iinpulse operation of the latter, and a stop element arranged to prevent said retarding weight from overtightening said auxiliary spring, fixed to one of said bodies in such a disposition that stoppage of said retarding weight is caused by said escapement wheel in its repose position when the desired tension in said auxiliary spring is reached.

8. In a watch movement, a mainspring, a rotatable shaft, a retarding weight fixed to said shaft, a gear train connecting said rotatable shaft with said mainspring, an escapement wheel loosely mounted on said rotatable shaft, an auxiliary spring arranged in series with said retarding weight and connecting the latter with said escapement wheel, in order to prevent the maximum torque of said mainspring developed at the escapement wheel from acting upon said escapement wheel during impulse operation of the latter. and a stop element in rigid connection with said retarding weight, disposed so that stoppage of said element is caused by said escapement wheel in its repose position in order to stop said retarding weight when the desired tension in said auxiliary spring is reached.

9. In a watch movement, a mainspring, a rotatable shaft, a retarding weight fixed to said shaft, a gear train connecting said rotatable shaft with said mainspring, an escapement wheel comprising spokes, loosely mounted on said rotatable shaft, an auxiliary spring arranged in series with said retarding weight and connecting the latter with said escapement wheel, in order to prevent the maximum torque of said mainspring developed at the escapement wheel from acting upon said escapement wheel during impulse operation of the latter, and a stop pin fixed to said retarding weight and entering through between said spokes in order to abut on one of said spokes and thus to stop said retarding weight during repose position of said escapement wheel when the desired tension in said auxiliary spring is reached.

H. JEANNERET.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the the of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 675,582 Arnold June 4, 1901 1,164,703 Corthell Dec. 21, 1915 1,895,666 Junghans Jan. 31, 1933 1,926,456 Riggs Sept. 12, 1933 2,281,493 Hammond Apr. 28, 1942 2,331,267 Dicke Oct. 5, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 5 Number Country Date 277,760 Germany Sept. 4, 1914 315,051 Great Britain 1928 

